


Liquid Courage

by Mieteve_Minijoma



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Best Friends, Betty Cooper Loves Jughead Jones, Bughead Fest (Riverdale), Drunkenness, F/M, First Kiss, Fluff, Fluffy Ending, Friends to Lovers, Jughead Jones Loves Betty Cooper, POV Jughead Jones, Riverdale High School, Romantic Fluff, Seriously just a bunch of cuteness, Underage Drinking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-01
Updated: 2020-08-01
Packaged: 2021-03-05 23:15:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,260
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25653505
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mieteve_Minijoma/pseuds/Mieteve_Minijoma
Summary: Your prompt is: Drunken shenanigans (first time getting drunk together, drunken confessions, drunk bathroom moments, next-day hangovers, taking care of the other one while drunk)....“Archie, how did I let you talk me into this...again?” Jughead groaned as his best friend pulled up the long and twisty driveway leading to the ominous mansion at the top. To say he was uncomfortable sitting in Archie’s jalopy while waiting to walk into the hell that was the back to school bash at Thornhill, would be a vast understatement.Jughead hated parties and anything remotely to do with them. The crowds of sweaty, drunken teens, behaving like they were at a Bacchanalian affair— having no regard for his personal space or boundaries— while they flailed around to the thumping music. Parties were never fun for him and all they did was drive his anxiety through the roof. But, despite all of his hatred for parties, he agreed to go to this one. Just so Archie could try to get close to the new girl in town, Veronica Lodge.
Relationships: Betty Cooper/Jughead Jones
Comments: 20
Kudos: 95
Collections: Bughead Fest Collection





	Liquid Courage

**Author's Note:**

> Hello lovely readers! I'm back again with a cute little one-shot for you all! This is part of the Bughead Fest Collection and my prompt was Drunken Shenanigans. I hope you guys like it, it's just a bunch of fluffy cuteness is for you all in this crazy time. 
> 
> I want to thank my bestie, Cyd (@smugheadjonesthethird) for beta'ing this for me and also helping bounce ideas with me lol. You're the best and I love you so much!!! 😍🥰😘 
> 
> Let me know what you guys think!

“Archie, how did I let you talk me into this... _ again _ ?” Jughead groaned as his best friend pulled up the long and twisty driveway leading to the ominous mansion at the top. To say he was uncomfortable sitting in Archie’s jalopy while waiting to walk into the hell that was the back to school bash at Thornhill, would be a vast understatement. 

Jughead hated parties and anything remotely to do with them. The crowds of sweaty, drunken teens, behaving like they were at a Bacchanalian affair— having no regard for his personal space or boundaries— while they flailed around to the thumping music. Parties were never fun for him and all they did was drive his anxiety through the roof. But, despite all of his hatred for parties, he agreed to go to this one. Just so Archie could try to get close to the new girl in town, Veronica Lodge. 

Honestly, if it wasn't for the fact that he owed Archie so much for helping him out over the summer— getting him a steady job and giving him a place to stay after his dad threw him out— he wouldn’t even be here.  _ Well, that’s not entirely true... _ It didn’t hurt that he knew he’d have a certain Hitchcock blonde there to keep him grounded so he wouldn’t freak out. However, he was still anxious about how the night would play out.

_ Tonight could be the night... I could tell her how I really feel... _

Jughead Jones has been in love with his best friend, Betty Cooper, for as long as he could remember. He first met Betty in the second grade when the zoning for the schools changed and he was moved from Southside to Riverdale Elementary. He was terrified— having always been told to stay away from the Northside kids— and didn’t know what to expect. However, the moment he was assigned a seat beside the little blonde with pigtails, he was hooked. She was spunky and smart and hilariously funny. They quickly became inseparable and spent all the time they could together, reading books and talking about their lives. 

It wasn’t until he heard about her crush on Archie Andrews in the seventh grade that he realized that he was in love with her. Having to watch her pine over their other best friend every day nearly killed him. He had to tell himself that it wasn’t his place to be jealous. She was allowed to like whomever she wanted, even if it wasn’t him. He would just have to settle for having her as a friend than as nothing at all.

That was until their sophomore year when Betty burst into his trailer in tears after the winter formal. She and Archie had attended as friends and she told Jughead that she had confessed her feelings for Archie, who in turn told her that he could never see her that way and was, in fact, going to ask out Ginger Lopez after the dance. She spent the rest of the evening crying on his shoulder and when he finally took her home, she kissed his cheek and thanked him for being there for her.

Something about that moment caused a shift in the dynamic between all three friends, driving her and Jughead closer together. After that, Betty never went on dates with anyone or even showed any signs of interest in dating boys. She seemed content to spend her free time writing articles and solving mysteries with Jughead, which only made him want her more. Even now, two years later, he pined from afar, too afraid to tell her how he felt for fear of rejection.

“I didn’t have to do anything to get you to agree, man. You know good and damn well you are only here because you don’t want anything to happen to Betty. Now, come on. Let’s go find the girls,” Archie said excitedly. Jughead blushed— thankful to the darkness for hiding it— and stepped out of the vehicle. He stared up at the foreboding house, gathering his courage before finally following Archie inside. 

The party was in full swing by the time they’d arrived and it was just as much of a nightmare as he imagined it would be; perspiring bodies gyrating to pulsing music while drinking unobstructedly. He and Archie made their way to the kitchen to grab drinks for themselves before heading back into the main room to find Betty and Veronica. 

When they found them, and he finally saw her, Jughead nearly choked on his root beer. She was dressed in a black leather mini skirt and a shimmery silver halter top that made it  **_abundantly_ ** clear that she was not wearing a bra. Sweet Betty Cooper looked like sex on legs and Jughead was pretty sure he’d die before the night was out. She danced freely with Veronica and Kevin, hands in the air as her hips matched the rhythm of whatever god awful song was blaring through the speakers. 

Jughead let out a low groan, biting his lip as he watched her briefly before staring down at his feet in shame.  _ Non-sexy thoughts... Think non-sexy thoughts, Jones... She’s your friend and you  _ **_will not_ ** _ objectify her just because she looks like sin in stilettos.  _ He was suddenly thrown from his thoughts when a soft, warm body collided with his chest, screaming his name in a high pitched tone. 

“JUUUUGGGGGIIIIE!” Betty squealed, throwing her arms around his neck and giggling in his ear. “You’re finally here! I missed yoooou!” she sang out, giving him a wet and enthusiastic kiss on his cheek before she buried her head into his neck. Jughead’s arms wrapped around her immediately, feeling the naked skin of her back making his breath falter. He savored the sensation for a moment before he pulled her back, holding her face in his hands to meet his eyes. 

“Hey, Betts. Glad to see me, huh?” Jughead asked. His smile was slight but he was kind of confused and taken aback by her openness. He asked her if she was okay even though he already knew the answer. She was clearly under the influence of  _ something—  _ he wasn’t sure what— and that concerned him. He wouldn’t put it above any of these asshats they went to school with to put Fizzle Rocks or JJ in her drink. She nodded, staggering a bit. 

“Betty, how much have you had to drink?” Jughead asked, pulling her away from the crowd to lead her to a quieter part of the house. 

“Not much, Juggie. Just a few shots to calm my nerves is all,” Betty said as they reached the kitchen. Jughead stopped and looked in the fridge to find some bottled water and decided to grab some snacks to help absorb the alcohol in her system. Once he had their haul tucked under one arm, he put his other arm around her and steered her further down the hall, away from the main area of the party.

Once they finally made it to what he assumed was a guest bedroom— far enough away from the party so that they could talk— he locked the door and knelt down in front of her. He gave her the water.

“Drink this, then I want you to eat some of this bread and maybe some of those fancy cheeses I snagged. You need to get that alcohol soaked up before you get sick.”

“I’m sorry, Juggie...you shouldn’t have to deal with me like this,” she whispered in embarrassment, taking a few sips of the water and nibbling on the corner of a piece of French bread. He knew what she was trying to say, he always did. She was sorry that she was in some way reminding him of his father, forcing him to take care of another drunk.

“Hey, look at me,” he caressed her cheek and smiled, “It’s okay. But are you alright, Betts? What had you twisted up that you thought you needed to loosen up so much?” She looked up to meet his eyes, worry clouding them.

“Um... Well, there’s this guy...” Jughead felt his heart drop into his stomach, knowing exactly where this was going. He dropped his hand from her cheek, inhaling slowly and giving her his best smile of encouragement, even if his heart was shattering.

“Wow, that’s...awesome. He must be a pretty amazing guy if he caught your eye,” he squeaked, clearing his throat before he continued. “Tell me about this  _ guy _ .”

“Well,” she sighed. “He’s funny and smart and he just gets me on a level that no one else seems to... I think I might have fallen in love with him, but I am afraid of what he will say,” she whispered, looking at him intently as she fiddled with the hem of her too-short skirt. Jughead cringed, hoping that his pain wasn’t evident on his face. 

He always hoped she would say those three words to him, dreamed that one day she would wake up and see him like he saw her. Sadly, that didn’t seem to be the case. All his confidence from the ride over faltered, the confession of his own feelings put on the back burner because she— once again— wanted someone else.

“Well, if he’s as smart as you say, he’d probably tell you that you are the most amazing woman in the world and tell you that he loves you just as much. Then you two can live happily ever after, right?” Jughead replied, his eyes staring at the large painting on the wall across from them. At that moment, all he wanted was to be able to leave and go to their spot at Sweetwater River to cry his eyes out. 

“You really think so, Juggie? You think he will love me back?” Betty asked, her hand turning his face so he was forced to gaze into her wide, pleading eyes.

“Betty, I think any man who is worthy of gaining your love and affection would be a complete idiot not to grab hold and hang onto you forever. You are the most beautiful person— inside and out— that I have ever met. I can guarantee he thinks so, too...” Jughead noticed a tear slip from her eyes and he raised his hands to brush it from her cheek. 

This was it... This was all he was ever going to be able to have with her, and he needed to make sure that it would be enough. Maybe one day, he would find someone who could even compare to the girl in front of him, but he didn’t think that would ever be possible. Nothing and no one could ever come close to Betty Cooper. 

Betty leaned in, wrapping her arms around him and hugging him tightly. He held her against his chest, her breath fanning out against his neck and he stroked her hair. He could feel the tears begin to form, so he fought to brush them off instead. He pulled away and kissed her on the forehead, smiling at her.

“You can do this, Betts. Just go up to him and tell him you love him. I know it’s scary, but I can guarantee it’s not as scary as never speaking up about how you feel and watching them love someone else,” he whispered sadly, brushing his thumb along her cheek one last time, taking the last of her tears with it. She stared into his eyes, fear still swirling in them as she spoke.

“I love you, Juggie...”

“I love you too, Betts. Now, what do you say we get some snacks in to you so you can confess your undying love for this mystery man?” Jughead chuckled nervously, starting to turn around, but pausing when he felt Betty’s hand on his cheek again. He turned back slowly, looking at her in confusion.

“I already did, Juggie... I  **_love_ ** you,” she stated a bit more confidently, her eyes darting back and forth as she watched him. The words bounced around in his head for a few seconds before he finally registered them.  _ Wait, she loves  _ me _? Like as in me, Jughead Jones, the neurotic, antisocial dumpster fire? How-- _

“Please say something, Jug,” Betty pleaded. Jughead snapped back to reality, looking down at her in complete shock.

“Y-you love me? But I thought you said you met this smart and funny guy who just ‘got’ you?”

“No, I said there is this guy. I never said I just met him...” she explained with a shy smile. 

“ **You** love  **me** ?” he repeated, completely flabbergasted. Betty giggled and nodded again, watching as a grin sprouted across Jughead’s face. “You love me!” he shouted and grabbed her cheeks to finally press a kiss to her lips. 

It was all he ever dreamed that it would be, but somehow so much more. The brokenness he’d felt just moments before melted away as the warmth of her kiss flooded his senses. She was completely and utterly in love and he was the luckiest bastard in the world, because he was the person that got to receive her love. He pulled away and rested his forehead on hers and smiled.

“I love you too, Betty Cooper. I have loved you for as long as I can remember and I will always love you,” he whispered, kissing her softly once more. He knew from this moment forward, things would be different, but he didn’t care. 

Now that he finally had her, he’d never let her go.


End file.
